Magnetically operated shade roller



D. POLSKY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 mvsmoa DA V/D POL 5% Y A Tram 5 X April 20, 1965 MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SHADE ROLLER Filed Feb. 19, 1963 A ril 20, 1965 D. POLSKY 3,179,160

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SHADE ROLLER Filed Feb. 19, 1963 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 04 W0 POL 3/1 g/WM United States Patent 2,179,160 MAGNETICALLY OPERATED SHADE ROLLER David Folsky, 2142 N. Melvin St, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed Feb. 19, 1963, Ser. No. 259,705 Claims. (Cl. 160--298) ting the window shade to spontaneously snap upward and wind about the roller.

From external appearances, the window shade roller according to the invention is similar to the ordinary spring type of window shade roller, and in fact can be installed for operation with the same support brackets used with the spring type of roller. The external appearance of the roller according to the invention is substantially the same as the spring type of window shade roller because the position retaining part of the roller structure is disposed within the roller at one end thereof and is thus concealed from view. Basically, the roller according to the invention is one wherein the usual spring structure is replaced by a magnetic pole structure fixedly secured to and rotatable with the roller, and adjacent to which is disposed a magnetically susceptible cylindrical structure coaxial with and free to turn relative to the shade roller itself except as restrained by the magnetic force Operative between the cylindrical and magnetic pole structures in a manner which will be made subsequently clear. Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide a novel window shade roller of the springless type which may be directly substituted for a Window shade having a spring type roller without changing even the bracket support strucspringless window shade roller as aforesaid in which the magnetic roller position holding assembly includes a part fixedly secured to and rotatable with the shade roller and another part magnetically secured thereto and relatively rotatable with respect to the shade roller.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become clear from a reading of the following specification in conjunction with an examination of the appended drawings, wherein:

FIGURE 1 is an elevational view of a window shade mounted to a shade roller according to the invention and installed for operation to a Window frame;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged perspective view of the left end shade roller supporting bracket of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-sectional view through the lefthand end of the shade roller structure illustrating the springless roller position holder disposed within the end of the roller, as would be seen when viewed along lines 33 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view through the structure of FIGURE 3 taken at right angles to the showing of FIGURE3 as would be seen when viewed along the line 4-4 thereof;

FIGURE 5 is an end view partly in elevation and partly in section of the structure of FIGURE 4 as would be seen when viewed along the line 55 of that figure;

3,I79,lhh Patented Apr. 2%), 1965 "ice FIGURE 6 is an enlarged vertical sectional View through the shade roller at the left hand end thereof as would be seen when viewed along the line 66 of FIG- URE 4-;

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to that of FIGURE 3 but with respect to a modified form of the springless roller according to the invention; and

FIGURES 8, 9 and 10 relate to FIGURE 7 in exactly the same manner as FIGURES 4, 5 and 6 relate to FIG- URE 3. i

In the several figures, like elements are denoted by like reference characters.

Referring now to the figures and firstly, principally to FIGURES 1 through 6, there will be seen a window frame 20 to opposite sides of which are afiixed left and right end brackets 21 and 22 respectively which physically support the shade 23 secured upon roller 24 in a conventional manner. From FIGURES l and 2 it Will be observed that the end brackets are of the conventional type, the bracket 21 including the slot 25 adapted to receive the conventional flattened end projection usually associated with the spring type shade rollerwhile the right end bracket 22 is provided with a central circular hole adapted to receive the standard circular end pin. The bracket 22 is also provided with a hood 22a extending inward over a sprocket wheel 2b secured to the right hand end of the roller 24, the sprocket wheel 26 being provided about its periphery with regularly spaced ball sockets which receive the balls of an operating ball chain 27. The shade 23 is rolled up and unrolled by rotation of the roller effected through the medium of the sprocket wheel 26 afiixed thereto when the ball chain 27 is drawn downward to produce a clockwise or counter-clockwise rotation of roller 24. The hood 22a of the bracket 22 prevents the inadvertent and undesired disengagement of ball chain 27 from the sprocket wheel 26.

Referring now to FIGURES 3, 4 and 5 it is observed that the left hand end of roller 2 has been axially drilled to provide a cylindrical bore and has also been slotted through the side thereof so that the slot and bore together form a key-hole shaped opening, as best seen in FIGURE 6, Within which is close fittingly disposed a plastic sheath 28 of key hole shape in crosssection. The sheath 28 in cludes a cylindrical portion 29 coaxial with the shade roller 24 and within which is close-fittingly r'otatably disposed a hollow cylindrical tube 30 made of magnetically susceptible material, the metal tube 30 having wedge fitted within its left hand end a wood plug 31. The wood plug 31 is coterminous with the left hand end of the metal tube 30, and driven axially endwise into the wood plug 31 is a pin 32 which carries a flat tab 33 projecting endwise thereof for disposition within the slot 25 of the bracket 21 so that the hollow metal tube 30 is effectively restrained frorn rotational motion relative to the bracket 21,

Extending laterally of the cylindrical portion 29 of the plastic sheath 23 is a portion 34 which fits within the slot cut into the roller 2d, the outer surface of the portion 34 acting as a continuation of the surface of the roller 24. Disposed substantially centrally within the slot fitting portion 34 of the plastic sheath 28 is a magnet 35 whose poles lie in the planes of the faces 36, the magnet 35 being of such dimension as to fit closely between the outer surface of the metal tube 30 and the inner surface of the outer walls of the slot fitting portion 34. Disposed on opposite sides of the magnet 35 and in contact with one magnetic pole face 36 and the outer surface of the cylindrical metal tube 30 are a pair of metal rod pole pieces 37, the surface of the rods 37 diametrically opposite to the magnet pole faces 3d being engaged by the side Walls 38 of slot-fitting portion 34. i

Since the metal tube 30 and the pole piece rods 37 are made of magnetically susceptible material it is clear that the pole pieces 37 and tube 3i) are strongly magnetically attracted into engagement with one another. Thus, a frictionalresistance to relative rotation between the tube 39 and magnet 35 with pole pieces 37 is set up. Since the axially extending tab 33 is non-rotatably held by virtue of fixed position within the slot of bracket 21, it will be now understood that the roller 24 can only be caused to rotate by. overcoming the frictional resistance between the magnetic structure rotatable with the roller and the out side of the metal tube 3%) fixedly secured by the tab 33 but rotatable relative to the shade roller 24. This frictional restraint is overcome by exerting the proper amount of pull upon the ball chain 27 trained about the sprocket wheel 26 at the opposite end of the roller 24. The amount of frictional restraint that is desired'will of course vary with the size and weight of the shade. Increased frictional restraint may be provided by increasing the area of contact between the surface of the metal tube 30 and the pole piece rods 37, as for example by contouring the rods 37 to the surface of the metal tube or by utilizing a longer magnetic structure. Similarly, decreased frictional resistance may be obtained by using a shorter magnet structureor replacing one of the rods 37 with a nonmagnetically susceptible element. The entire operative assembly which is contained within the plastic sheath 28 is slipped endwise into the roller 24 and secured therewithin by'the metal end cap 39.

Turning now to a consideration of FIGURES 7 through 10 there Will be seen illustrated therein a shade roller 24 having Wound thereabout a shade 23' suspended at its left end from a bracket 21 which latter is in turn secured to a window frame 2%), the foregoing primed elements corresponding to their unprirned counterparts in the showings of FIGURES 1 through 6. The roller 24' is slotted completely therethrough along a diameter for some distance in from the left hand end thereof and close-fittingly disposed within the roller slot is a plastic sheath 40 of generally rectangular shape in cross-section, the outer edges being curved to act as continuations of the surface of the roller 24-.

Passing longitudinally through the sheath 40 coaxially with the roller 24' i a cylindrical metal shaft 41 of diameter substantially equal to the interior width of the plastic sheath 4t? and whose length is in excess of that of the plastic sheath. 4%, so that the interior end of the shaft 41 projects through an appropriately formed hole in the rear wall 42 of the sheath 41 and extends for a distarice into the axial bore 43 of the shade roller 24'. The opposite end of the shaft 41 is formed with a fiat tab 44 which extends axially endwise of the roller 24 for disposition within the slot of the bracket 21' in exactly the same manner as previously described in connection with the flattened tab 33 shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Extending parallel to the metal shaft 41 within the plastic sheath and filling the space therebetween are a pair of sandwich structures each of which includes a central generally rectangular cross-section magnet 45 and a pair of generally rectangular cross-section pole pieces 46 disposed in flat surface contact with the opposite poles of the magnets 4. 5 as in the previously described embodiment. The sheath 4t and the assembly contained therewithin is secured to the shade roller 24 at the end thereof by means of the end cap 4-7, the opposite end of the sheath assembly being held in position within the roller by means of the projection of the end of metal shaft 41 into the axial roller bore The principle of operation of the embodiment of PI URES 7 through 10 is exactly the same as that previously set forth in connection with the embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 3 through 6, the structure of FIGURES 7 through 10 however providing a greater degree of frictional restraint between the magnet'structures, which rotate with the roller 24', and the metal shaft 4i, which is nonrotatablerelative to its bracket 21 and relatively rotatable with respect to the shade roller 24'. It will be appreciated that in both cases the entire structure contained within either sheath 28 or sheath 40 may be quickly and easily pre-assembled by merely sliding the preformed parts into the sheath, and this structure may then be quickly operatively secured to the shade roller by merely dropping it into its precut slot and securing the appropriate end cap to the end of the shade roller.

The plastic sheaths 28 and 40 may be molded as illustrated or may be made by high speed extruding equipment in which event the interior end walls would not exist. Additionally, while one embodiment illustrates the use of a hollow cylindrical metal tube 3t while the other one illustrates the use of a solid cylindrical metal shaft 41, either form may be used with either embodiment, .Finally, while the magnets 35 and 45 may be made of any suitable magnetic material, it has been found that the socalled magnetic rubber compositions are very satisfactory since they are readily cut to shape and retain their magnetic properties to a substantial degree when being so handled due to the generally resilient nature thereof which minimizes the demagnetizing shock effect of cutting and punching operations.

Having now described my invention connection with particularly illustrated embodiments thereof, it will be appreciated that variations and modifications of the same may now occur from time to time to those persons normally skilled in the art without departing from the essential scope or spirit of my invention, and accordingly it is intended to claim the same broadly as well as specifically as indicated by the appended claims.

What is claimed as new and useful is:

1. A magnetically, rotationally restrained springless shade roller structure, comprising in combination, an elongated roller member of substantially constant outer diameter adapted to have a flexible shade secured to the outer surface thereof for winding thereabout as the roller is rotated about its long axis, said roller member being longitudinally apertured for a distance inward from one end thereof and having a longitudinally extending slot extending radially outward from said aperture through the side wall of said roller, a cylinder of magnetically susceptible material disposed within the apertured end of said roller member coaxially with the roller and axially rotatable relative thereto, said cylinder carrying a part proectmg axially endwise out of and beyond the. end of said roller member adapted for non-rotational engagement with a roller support bracket, a magnet structure disposed within said longitudinally extending slot of said roller met her and fixedly secured to the roller for rotation therewith and magnetically surface engaged with the cylindrical surface of said cylinder of magnetically susceptible material, and means secured to the opposite end of said roller member for rotatably supporting the roller from another support bracket.

2. The shade roller structure according to claim 1 wherein said magnet structure is in the form of a three layer sandwich in which the center layer is a permanent magnet and the outer layers are magnetically susceptible pole pieces physically engaged with the surface of the said cylinder of magnetically susceptible material.

3. The shade roller structure according to claim 1 wherein the longitudinally extending aperture in the said shade roller isin the form of an axial bore of circular cross-section.

4. The shade roller structure according to claim 1 wherein said longitudinally extending slot extends diametrically through the shade roller and said cylinder extends centrally through said slot coaxially with said roller and wherein said magnet structure including two portions disposed within said slot on diametrically opposite sides of said cylinder.

5. The shade roller structure accordingto claim 1 wherein both said cylinder and said magnet structure are fitted within a common sheath of non-magnetically sus-' ceptible material of substantially the same cross-sectional size and shape as the said longitudinally extending slotted aperture in the shade roller to thereby form an assembly which may he slipped as a unit into the shade roller aperture.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 219,185 9/79 Temple 160300 TWiss 160298 Hammer 160-298 Hammer 160-298 Baermann 317201 Schultz 317201 Polsky 160-298 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

Tanabe et 1 3 10 BENDETT, Examiner. 

